


The Other Side of Time

by theworldwithkaisoo



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Fantasy, M/M, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-14
Updated: 2017-02-14
Packaged: 2018-09-24 06:52:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9709133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theworldwithkaisoo/pseuds/theworldwithkaisoo
Summary: Time travel is one thing. But to travel back in time to live a past life to find what you’re missing is something else entirely.





	

**Author's Note:**

> AN: originally posted on [forkadionly](http://forkadionly.livejournal.com/16229.html)

“Have you ever felt like something was missing?”

“You mean, like how I’m missing my stupid, fucking phone?” Sehun said, without realizing that he held his phone in his hands as he frantically searched his bag. Jongin side plucked the phone from his friend’s hand and swung it in front of his face.

“No, not like missing your phone.” Jongin taunted before Sehun snatched his phone back. The two of them continued their walk down the campus main street. Jongin looked ahead of them, the street was scattered with students heading to their next classes or heading to lunch. People on their hoverboards weaving in and out of the crowd almost colliding with other hoverboarder’s. Some almost crashed into some of the cleaning droids. Just another day on campus. He could see from the corner of his eye, Sehun was looking at him. 

“What do you mean then?”

“I don’t know,” Jongin admitted. He really didn’t know. He’s had this empty feeling in his chest. It was like he forgot something so incredibly important. And it was only recently that he had said feeling intensify.

“Maybe you should go talk to someone about it?” Sehun suggested.

Jongin gave him a bewildered look. “I’m not depressed or anything.”

“Never said that,” Sehun said, as the two of them separated so a couple holding hands could walk between them. “I’m just saying that talking to someone might help you figure that shit out, you know? Cause you know that I don’t know how to give proper advice.”

They both chuckled. Both remembering that last piece of advice Sehun had given. The pair had gone to a new restaurant and Jongin couldn’t decide what he wanted. Sehun had suggested that he should just order one of everything so then he would be able to taste each item to know what he liked. That was the kind of ridiculous advice Sehun gave, all the time.

“I wouldn’t be able to afford to talk to anyone outside of our school counselors,” Jongin said. “Which we both know are--”

“--shit,” Sehun said at the same time Jongin did. “You could ask my cousin.”

“You mean, Jongdae?” Sehun nodded. “Isn’t he a little...you know?” Jongin used his pointer finger and drew circles around his ear. They took a left towards the building of their next class.

“Yeah, but still, he might give you some,” Sehun paused to find the right word. “Insight?”

“You don't sound so sure,” Jongin chuckled as he pulled open the door to the building, letting Sehun walk in first and they made their walk down the hall towards the lecture hall.

“Thanks. I’ll give you his info, then you can decide if you want to go,” Jongin agreed. “But, I’ll warn you that he’s been dabbling in magic.”

“Magic?” Jongin said. They entered their class and made their way to the middle of the hall, where they usually sat. “I thought--”

“I thought so too, but apparently, he found some books and he said that he’s figured it out. Or something like that.” 

“And you’re sending me to him anyways?”

Sehun shrugged. “He won’t do anything to you.”

 

Jongin tentatively knocked on the door that was painted with eyes. Poorly painted eyes, but scary nonetheless. He didn’t hear anything on the other side, so he knocked once more. Still nothing. Jongin took a breath and put his hand on the door knob. 

He twists it and it opened. 

He poked his head inside. If the door gave anyone the impression that the inside would be just as crazy, then they were right. It was filled with all sorts of strange things, things that Jongin didn’t know anything about. Everything was colourful and bright. There was a lot of tapestries that were hung on the wall and Jongin was sure that he had read about them in a history class once. He thinks that they were called mandalas?

Jongdae walked out of a door that was to the left.

“Ah, Jongin,” he said. He was wearing a plaid shirt and black jeans. Simple. Normal. Complete contrast to the rest of the room. “Sorry, I didn’t hear you knock. I was working on a spell.”

“Right,” Jongin said slowly. He felt like he had to tread waters carefully, he wasn’t sure what kind of person Jongdae has become since the last time he had seen him years ago. “I thought…?”

“Oh, no, you're right.” Jongdae winked. “Let's just keep it a secret between us, yes?”

Jongin nodded. Jongdae walked over to the sitting area, which was directly in front of Jongin. It had a burgundy loveseat, a glass table, and a single, cream, plush chair.

“So, you said something about feeling empty?” Jongdae asked as he said in a chair the faced a love seat. Just hearing it said out loud made Jongin feel stupid. He felt his ears heat up.

“I-I um,” Jongin stammered. “You know, I think I'm just going to go home.”

“Hey, hey. No judgement from me here. I just want to know what I can do to help you the best way I can.” Jongdae said with his hands up in defense. “If you don't feel comfortable then no worries.”

Jongin looked back at the door and sighed. He walked towards the love seat and sat. He wanted to know why he felt this way, and Jongdae, he felt, though he wasn’t a hundred percent sure, was the only one who wasn't going to laugh at him for it. 

“Yeah, I don't know how to explain it,” Jongin said. He left his right hand and put it to his chest. “It just feels like I missing something or...someone.”

“Are you happy with your situation currently? Is there something else in your life that you want to do?”

Jongin thought of his life. He’s at school taking economics so he can learn Business. He teaches dance to very ambitious students. And he wants to open his own studio. What's not to like about his life. 

“Yes, I'd say I'm pretty happy.” 

“And you're sure there isn't anything else in your life that could make you feel this way? Family pressure? Life pressure?” 

Jongin shook his head. He's been lucky and has lived a relatively normal life.

Jongdae hummed and leaned back in his chair. He bought his hands up in a triangle formation just under his chin. “Do you believe in reincarnation?”

“Reincarnation?”

“You know, rebirth and all that jazz.”

“I mean, I guess?” Jongin wasn't actually sure if he were, to be honest. He had never given it much thought.

“Recently, I've been using spells to find a way for my clients to look into their past and find out about their lives,” Jongdae explained. “I'm thinking we could start there. I find that people who are usually longing for something, is either a subconscious think they need to figure out themselves or something in their past lives had made its way to the present you.”

“That sounds expensive.”

“I'll give you a friend discount,” Jongdae said. “You get 100% off.”

Jongin was sure if he had been drinking water, that it would have painted Jongdae. 

“W-what?” 

Jongdae smiled. “Shall we get started?”

“Wait, I can't--”

“You can and you will,” Jongdae said. “Besides, I don't really know the consequences to this spell yet.”

 

Jongin was laying on his back. Jongdae was standing where he head was with a hand over his face. 

“You need to close your eyes for this to work, okay?”

Jongin nodded and took a breath before he shut his eyes. He could hear Jongdae mumbling incoherent words. Nothing felt like it was happening, though. Nothing… felt different. Jongdae must have stopped talking because Jongin could no longer hear the words he was speaking. Jongin started jitter his foot in anxiousness. 

He peeked an eye open and didn't see Jongdae’s hand. He saw a plain white ceiling instead of Jongdae's dark ceiling. He rose, still sitting on the couch, or well, the 'new couch'. He looked around the room. It was _very_ different than what was in Jongdae's apartment. Instead of all the magical items and crazy mandalas, there was a modern look to this place. Everything was clean cut and monochrome. 

Where was he? 

Jongin turned his head to the left when he heard a door open. Sehun walked out of his bedroom, he must've just woken up. 

Wait. How did Jongin know this? 

“You fell asleep on the couch again?” Sehun said as he walked into the kitchen to make his morning coffee. 

“Yeah…” Jongin said, looking around again. The clock on the cable box read 7:00 a.m. On the table in front of him was a worn notebook. When he reached out to touch it, he already knew what it was. What he had been reading. Where he was. Everything it all came back to him. 

It was 2017. He… went back in time? Or…his mind is back in time? What kind of magic had Jongdae been practicing?

“Did you make any progress with that spell?” Sehun said from the kitchen. Jongin could hear cupboards opening and closing.

“Not yet,” Jongin said. He got up from his seat and stretched. He made his way over to the kitchen and sat at one of the stools by the kitchen island.

“You good?” Sehun asked. “You seem a bit out of it…”

“Just exhausted.” Jongin sighed and placed his head in his hands. Sehun, in turn, used his air manipulation and placed a small cup of black coffee in front of him. Jongin mumbled thanks.

“So, remember how I was telling you that I knew someone who could help you?”

“Yeah, what of it?”

“He finally agreed to work with you.”

“Really?” Jongin rose his head. “How do you know him?”

“I met him through Chanyeol,” Sehun explained. “Chanyeol told me what kind of magic he practiced and he seemed like the perfect fit for what you were looking for.”

“Chanyeol,” Jongin tapped his chin trying to remember who Chanyeol was, “he’s the loud one you always talk about, right?”

“That’s the one,” Sehun said. “His boyfriend is Baekhyun, the other loud one.”

Jongin nodded and took a sip of his coffee. _Fuck_. It was too hot. Jongin stuck out his tongue after his swallowed. His poor taste buds. 

“You’re doing nothing today, right?” Sehun asked.

“Yeah.”

“Good, cause we’re meeting up with Kyungsoo at ten,” Sehun said. He nodded his head toward Jongin’s room. “So, go shower and get ready to leave in a bit, yeah?”

Jongin nodded, grabbed his coffee and his notebook from the table and made his way to his bedroom. He looked around his room. It was a mess. It wasn’t filled with dirty clothes or anything like that. Jongin took pride in the fact that he was diligent in doing his laundry and making his bed. It was the mass of books and papers that were scattered all over his room. There weren’t junk either. There were all filled with different spells and instructions. Recently, however, his books were of older spells. He was trying to find a way to time travel. 

He wasn’t sure why he wanted to figure out how, but about a year ago, Jongin had woken up with an urge to figure out how. He started to ponder what life would’ve been like in the nineteenth century. What it was like to like during the Roman empire. Or how much would the earth change a hundred years into the future. 

All these questions filled his mind. He had asked Sehun for his opinion not a week later. Though he was doubtful, he had still said that he should give it a shot. 

So here he was a year later, no progress, but still… Jongin was hopeful. He didn’t make it a top priority, as he knew he wouldn’t be able to keep up with teaching dance. So every spare moment he had, he studied, read and practiced. 

 

Sehun and Jongin walked into the cafe that was a ten-minute walk away from their apartment. It wasn’t too busy, but there were enough people here to make Jongin feel slightly uncomfortable. It wasn’t that he hated being around people, it was more about that fact that he was surrounded by strangers. He always preferred being surrounded by people he knew or people he knew that had the same values and interest as him. Which was why he always loved to teach dance. Everyone he taught, for the most part, were excited and invested in becoming better dancers.

“He’s over there,” Sehun said, pointing to a corner of the cafe. His back was facing them, so Jongin couldn’t tell what he face looked like. He had short hair, but it was still long enough that a bit went past the tip of his ear. 

Sehun easily and casually slipped into the seat diagonally from Kyungsoo, leaving Jongin to take the one right in front of him. 

“Kyungsoo,” Sehun said. “This is Jongin. Jongin, Kyungsoo.”

Jongin looked up and was surprised with what he had seen. The man in front of him looked ever so serious for the briefest of moments until he made eye contact with Jongin. When he did, the corner of his eyes crinkled and his lips peeled into a heart. When he saw Kyungsoo smile, he felt his heart lighten.

_This was it_ , Jongin thought to himself. If someone were to ask what he had felt that moment. What he felt when he realized that this person what was he had been missing in his life. He would have said, complete like he was ready to scream it to the world. But, at the same time he felt sad and confused and disheartened. What he was missing in his life was something of the past, something that he would never be able to have again. 

“Nice to meet you,” Jongin said, giving him a small smile.

“You as well,” Kyungsoo said. He tapped the side of his coffee. “Did you guys want to get anything before we start?”

Jongin shook his head, as did Sehun. 

“We had some coffee before we came,” Sehun explained.

“So, Jongin,” Kyungsoo said. “Sehun said you’ve been trying to...time travel?”

Kyungsoo had raised his eyebrow when he asked that question. It wasn’t out of judgement, but more out a sheer curiosity. Jongin was extremely thankful for that. He had received more than enough judgement in his lifetime for choosing to pursue magic and dance instead of a “more stable career”.

“W-well,” Jongin started. “I guess, it’s a little more complicated than that.” Jongin looked too Kyungsoo unsure if how much he should reveal in their first meeting. But Kyungsoo had looked at him with such an encouraging expression. “Well, in theory, to time travel would mean putting a hole in time, which isn’t really smart. Cause, you know, you could really mess with the timeline and like fabricate the entire universe. What I want to do is...really just find a way for someone to go back in time and not mess with the fabric of time--”

Kyungsoo hummed. Sehun had leaned forward and rested his head onto his hand. Jongin had never actually explained to Sehun, in detail, what he was trying to achieve. Though, Sehun was able to use magic- Jongin knew that Sehun didn’t really care for time travel. He always liked to remind Jongin that living in the now is where one could find true happiness, not in the past or future.

“--but more... As to live the lives that have been lived in order to experience that time period without disrupting the past, present or future. Does that make any sense?”

“Yes,” Kyungsoo nodded his head. “I think it does.”

“Damn, Jongin,” Sehun said impressed with his friend. “I didn’t realize just how far you wanted to go.”

Jongin smiled a little, feeling proud of himself. 

“I personally have never dealt with that kind of magic before and to try and basically mess around with time itself,” Kyungsoo started to shake his head in disbelief. Jongin felt his heart drop a bit. “You must be out of your mind to try something like that.”

“He is,” Sehun agreed. Jongin hit his arm to shut him up. 

“Sign me up,” Kyungsoo said. Jongin was sure his face lit up like a neon welcome sign. “We’ve got a lot of work to do, but man, this sounds like it’ll be worth the trouble. Have you made any progress?”

Jongin nodded his head and reached into his pocket to pull out the small notebook, that he always kept with him. It was filled with all of his notes and personalized spells. 

The three of them started to go through Jongin’s notes. Jongin made sure to explain everything to Kyungsoo in as much detail as he could. Kyungsoo, in turn, was helpful with give Jongin pointers or even answering some questions that Jongin, himself wasn’t sure about. 

Slowly, the images of the cafe, of Sehun and of Kyungsoo were starting to fade. He was still focused on the task at hand, but just before everything faded to black, Jongin made sure to take one last glimpse at Kyungsoo face. He wanted to make sure that it was going to be etched into his brain. 

 

This time, as Jongin blinked, instead of the cafe and Kyungsoo, he saw Jongdae’s ceiling. Jongin took a moment before he sat up. Jongdae was sitting in the seat from before. 

“Welcome back, Jongin,” Jongdae said. Jongin turned and faced Jongdae. “Did you find anything interesting?”

Jongin wasn’t really sure how to respond. “I-I guess? Everything felt so real.”

Jongdae nodded his head. “I expected nothing less.”

“How long was I...out for?”

“About an hour,” Jongdae said. Jongin looked surprised. “How long did it feel like you were in there for?”

“Much longer than that.”

“Did you find what you were looking for?” 

“Yes, I think I did,” Jongin said. He looked down at his lap, where his fingers were interlaced. He wondered what it would be like to hold Kyungsoo’s hand. 

“Do you mind me asking what it was you’ve been longing for?” Jongdae asked carefully. He leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees.

“It was a person.”

Jongdae opened and closed his mouth. He must’ve understood what this meant then, as did Jongin. They both knew that what Jongin longed for was something he would not be able to obtain now. 

“There are two ways we can go with this,” Jongdae said leaning back into his chair. “First, we can stop. You now know what you’ve been missing and we both know the implications to that. Second, and most importantly, we could continue with these sessions. And maybe, you might be able to achieve some sort of closure over this...situation.”

Jongin leaned back as well. He knew his decision before Jongdae even finished speaking. “I want to continue with it. Me of the past was working with him or at least we were starting to work on some magic?” Jongdae perked up at this. “Based on what I was shown and the knowledge I was given, or know, I don’t know all of this is confusing me. Basically, me of the past wants to find out how to use magic to time travel. And I feel like whatever happens with that is correlated with what happens between Kyungsoo and me.”

“Kyungsoo? Is that the _one_?” Jongin nodded. “And magic?” Jongin nodded again. “This is most definitely interesting. How often would you be willing to come in?”

“Right now, just once a week,” Jongin said.

“Once a week it is,” Jongdae said. “And don’t worry about paying for any of this.”

“W-what? Jongdae--”

“I’m serious,” Jongdae said. “Just tell what happens every time and that can be your form of payment.”

 

Jongin just shut the door to his apartment. He could hear the TV on in the living room, meaning Sehun was home. Jongin kicked off his shoes and shuffled his way over to the living room and plopped himself down beside his friend. 

“How’d it go?” Sehun asked, turning his attention to Jongin. But Jongin’s eyes were focused on the TV. Images of the show Sehun was watching were flashing, constantly changing in front of his eyes. “Jongin?”

“I found what was wrong…” Jongin said slowly. Sehun muted the TV then. Jongin sighed. He wasn’t really sure where he should start with this. “Did you want the long version or the short version?”

“Always the long version.”

Jongin recounted the details to Sehun. Sehun now, much like Sehun of the past, was attentive.

“It’s nice to know that we were friends in your past life,” was the first thing Sehun said. “I guess you can’t get rid of me, huh?”

Jongin knew he was just trying to lighten up the situation but it didn’t help.

“Are you sure you want to continue doing it?” Sehun said as he crossed his legs on the couch. The couch moaned with the newly added weight. “Won’t it just hurt you more when it ends?”

“It’ll hurt me regardless,” Jongin said. He sighed again and leaned his head back against the couch. “But, I think, it might be better to continue, so I know what happens. Maybe it’ll help me figure out why I feel the way I do now when it happened a hundred years ago.”

“Just make sure you take care of yourself.”

\----

It was the next appointment and Jongin had to admit that he was feeling slightly nervous about seeing Kyungsoo again. Nothing had changed about Jongdae’s place since Jongin was last there, he wasn’t sure why he thought it would change. Maybe he was just trying to avoid thinking about Kyungsoo. 

“Ready whenever you are,” Jongdae had said when they got past the small talk. Without a second thought, both fell into place. Jongin laid on the couch and Jongdae hovered at his head. 

 

Jongin opened his eyes. He was standing in an elevator. He was heading to Kyungsoo’s apartment, where they would be able to freely talk about the project (what they liked to call it) they were working on. It had already been a week since they first met and Jongin had already been to Kyungsoo’s apartment several times, really they just spent as much time as they could together to figure out how they would manage this spell. During his second time there, Jongin had met Kyungsoo’s roommate, Baekhyun and his boyfriend Chanyeol. Sehun was right about that pair, Jongin had noted when he first spoke with them. They both were loud. Louder than Jongin would’ve liked, but he found the more he spend with them, the more he started to like them. They threw him off balance, but it was in a way that almost complemented his quiet life.

The elevator doors opened and he made his way down the hall to Kyungsoo’s door. The door was slightly ajar when he arrived. This was the first time that had happened, so Jongin cautiously peered his head into the apartment.

“Hello?” Jongin called out. 

“Hey, Jongin,” Kyungsoo said. It sounded as though, he was in the kitchen. “Come on in.”

Jongin shut the door behind him and took off his shoes. In front of him was the living room and the kitchen was several feet in front of him, to the right. He poked his head around the door frame and saw Kyungsoo pouring himself a cup of coffee. Baekhyun was sitting at the small table that was against the wall. He head was on the table and was facing the wall. 

“Hey, Baekhyun,” Jongin said. The elder made a small sound. Jongin had seen Baekhyun tired before, but the sound that Baekhyun had made was different. “Is everything okay?”

Jongin turned to look at Kyungsoo who frantically shook his head like Jongin had just opened a door he wasn’t supposed to.

“No, everything's not okay,” Baekhyun said sitting up. His eyes were red like he had been crying. “Why do boys have to be so stupid?”

Jongin kept his lips tight. He looked to Kyungsoo in confusion.

“Chanyeol and him had a fight,” Kyungsoo said quietly, he used his hand to cover his mouth from Baekhyun, but the latter just glared at his friend.

“Just because you cover your mouth doesn't mean I can’t hear you,” Baekhyun said bitterly. 

“Do I want to know?” Jongin asked tentatively.

“You really don’t,” Kyungsoo said. “It’s just a stupid fight.” 

“No, it’s not,” Baekhyun whined. “Apparently, it was ever so wrong of me to ask Chanyeol to grab something when he came back from the washroom. We start to fight about it and Chanyeol called me lazy. So then I picked a fight with him about that and started to call him lazy.”

Jongin looked at Kyungsoo with a small smile, when Baekhyun finished his story.

“Told you it was stupid,” Kyungsoo said quietly. He started to walk out of the kitchen, before Baekhyun could turn on him. As he was doing so, Jongin felt the slightest of touch, on the small of his back, when Kyungsoo walked behind him. 

It caused Jongin to stumble over his next words, “I-It’s not stupid, just a misunderstanding.”

Jonign couldn’t see Kyungsoo’s face, but he was sure that he was smirking. That smug bastard.

“To be honest, I think that you are both slightly at fault,” Jongin said to Baekhyun. Baekhyun looked like he was ready to turn on him. “Just hear me out, Chanyeol shouldn’t have called you lazy and should apologize for that,” Baekhyun nodded his head in agreement, but frowned slightly as Jongin continued. “But you turning the fight back on his and calling him lazy wasn’t the right thing to do either. You need to apologize to him, as well.” 

“Thanks, Jongin,” Baekhyun mumbled, giving him a hug. He knew that Jongin was right. “You’re such a great friend. I knew I liked you for a reason.”

Jongin felt blush rise to cheeks. It wasn’t often that one was grateful for his friendship. Baekhyun turned him around and pushed him towards Kyungsoo, who was sitting in the living room. 

“You can go play with your magic now,” Baekhyun said as he headed towards his bedroom. “I have a phone call to make.”

Jongin looked towards Kyungsoo. He was reading a small book. Jongin was able to see the title, so instead he just took in the figure that was in front of him. He took note of the way Kyungsoo’s face had concentrated on the words on the pages.

Kyungsoo looked up from his book and smiled lightly at Jongin. He placed his bookmark in its place and asked Jongin a question. He responded. But he couldn’t remember what was asked. 

To Jongin, it felt like he was on autopilot. He wasn’t paying attention to his actions or words or what they were working on. Instead he focused on how Kyungsoo's lips moved and caressed every syllable as he spoke. How his blinks seemed to move slowly over his corneas, and how every time he looked up at Jongin his eyes were full and bright. How his eyelashes were so perfect and full. How the apples of his cheeks were defined so nicely anytime he smiled at something silly Jongin had said. How the tendons of his fingers protruded from his hand and how his fingers though not as long as Jongin’s still seemed to hold a type of delicacy that Jongin could only imagine what it would feel like to feel those fingers run along his body.

And how every touch and every look Kyungsoo had given him, gave him more than just a stuttering heart and a light stomach. Or the light dew that coated his palms. It gave him a sense of absoluteness. 

 

Jongin opened the door, bidding farewell to Jongdae and was surprised to see two men standing there. One of which had his hand in the air, ready to knock. Both, though, were taller than Jongin.

“Hello,” the man said. He had blonde hair styled in a pompadour. “My name is Kris and this is my partner Tao,” Jongin looked to his partner. He looked so serious. “We are from SM, are you Kim Jongdae?”

“No,” Jongin said slowly, he pointed behind him with his thumb, to signify that Jongdae was behind him. When Jongin turned back he surprised to see a modern apartment. All the gadgets and gizmos that had cluttered Jongdae’s apartment had disappeared. It looked like a normal apartment. Jongdae was standing off to the side, away from the view of the door. When Jongin made eye contact with the latter, he winked and brought a finger to his lips. 

“Is everything okay?” Kris asked. Jongin turned back to the suited men and smiled.

“Everything is great,” Jongin said, he saw from the corner of his eye that the front door, was also clear of the creepy eyes. He stepped back and opened the door wider to let them inside. The pair walked in and Jongdae had casually strolled to his armchair.

“Gentlemen, what can I help you with?” Jongdae had said. Kris walked forward, closer to Jongdae. But Tao stayed next to Jongin and helped him close the door. Jongin was slightly frozen. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do. Could he leave? 

“I-I think I’m just going to leave…” Jongin said. He went to grab the door handle, but Tao’s hand extended to stop Jongin.

“Please, take a seat,” Tao said. Jongin looked to Jongdae who had suddenly turned serious. He gave a slight nod of his head and Jongin walked over to where Jongdae sat. Even though Tao told him to sit, he didn’t feel comfortable doing so. Instead he stood next to Jongdae, while the other two moved and took a seat on the couch. 

“A nice place you have here,” Kris said looking around the apartment. Jongin was following his gaze and imagined all the chaos that was hidden. “Must be good for business.”

“Yes, my customers love it,” Jongdae said. “Isn’t that right Jongin?”

Jongin nodded. “It’s nice.”

“What can I help you with?” Jongdae asked again.

“It has come to our attention that there has been certain activity happening within this area.” Jongin watched as Kris eyed Jongdae as he carefully spoke. Jongin shifted his eyes to Tao, who has his eyes on him. It was like they were watching and waiting for Jongdae or himself to give up information. 

Jongin felt his hands start to get clammy, so as casually as he could he put them behind his back. He knew that Tao and Kris both caught the movement though.

“What type of activity?” 

Kris paused before he spoke and slightly narrowed his eyes. “Do you dabble in any sort of magic, Jongdae?”

Jongin heart started to beat loudly. Were they able to hear it? Jongin pulled his eyebrows down, in what he hoped looked like confusion and then turned his head towards Jongdae. Jongdae looked calm, cool and collected.

“We both know that magic is forbidden,” Jongdae said. “No one had dabbled in that since the early twenty-first century.”

“Yet you know the history of magic?” Tao said, turning his head slightly. “That’s interesting.”

Jongin had to agree with Tao. Not many people knew the full history of magic, only that it was forbidden after a disaster had broken out. No one knew the year it occurred either, but clearly Jongdae knew a lot more than Jongin could begin to fathom. 

“Of course, I take pride in knowing about a lot of things,” Jongdae said. “But fear not, magic is not something--”

“What's also interesting is that last month someone had broken into a secret government facility and stole a very private notebook,” Tao said.

“Let me guess, this notebook had something to do with magic? How _interesting_.” Jongdae mocked.

“Maybe you could explain why, that after the time of the theft, this particular area in the neighbourhood has had an increase in magical energy,” Tao countered. Jongdae opened his mouth to respond but was cut off.

“Jongin,” Kris said. Jongin looked at Kris in surprise. “You don’t practice magic at all, do you?”

Jongin shook his head. “I wouldn’t even know where to start…”

“Well, I suppose coming to a magic historian would be a good place to start,” Kris said. 

_Shit_. Jongin didn’t even realize that he threw himself into a trap.

“I--”

Before Jongin could continue, Jongdae cut him off. “I do not appreciate you coming into my home and accusing me of magic. Nor accusing one of my clients of magic. If all you wanted to do was to come here and accuse us of things we do not do, then I suggest you leave.”

Both Kris and Tao rose to their feet and made their way to the door.

“So sorry to have upset you,” Kris said. Jongin could hear the sarcasm that coated his words. “We’ll be keeping a very close eye on the situation.”

Jongdae stood and rose an eyebrow. “Is that a threat?”

Jongin noticed a small smile that appeared on Tao’s face, who had already opened the door. 

“No, never a threat,” Kris said as the pair left. Once the door was shut, Jongin let out a breath. Jongin’s mind start to get a little crazy. Did this mean they were going to have to stop? How was he supposed to find out what happened between him and Kyungsoo? 

“No need to fear,” Jongdae said, patting Jongin on the back, halting his thoughts. “We’ll just have to be more careful.”

Jongin closed his eyes briefly and nodded. When he opened them again, the room was back to how it initially was. 

“I’ll see you next week, Jongin.”

\----

 

“I’ve got it!” Kyungsoo said giving Jongin a kiss on the lips when Jongin arrived. At first, Jongin was startled. His mind was still catching up with the details. Their first kiss. It happened last week. Instead of working on the spell they had decided to go out. Baekhyun and Chanyeol had joined them for a portion of the day. They had ended up at a local bar. It was open mic night and the four of them were enjoying the show while sharing a pitcher of beer. After, Baekhyun and Chanyeol left, leaving Jongin and Kyungsoo to walk through the streets. Jongin could’ve sworn it was the alcohol that got him to do it. But, no matter what it was, Jongin had confessed. Kyungsoo had given him such a bright smile that Jongin couldn’t help but kiss him. Ever since then they were “together”.

“Wait, what?” 

“I think I might’ve figured it out,” Kyungsoo said as he pulled Jongin along to the couch. 

“You’re welcome!” Jongin heard Baekhyun yell from his bedroom.

“Okay, well, Baekhyun gave me the spark to ignite the idea,” Kyungsoo explained. “So, you know how Sehun uses magic to manipulate the air particles, which help him do the things he does,” Jongin nods his head. He wasn’t entirely sure where Kyungsoo was going with this. “Instead of using air particles, we need to use time and manipulate that.”

“Wait, but time is a human construct.”

“Yes, but no,” Kyungsoo said. “We can use the sun and the earth’s rotation and manipulate them.”

“So, you’re suggesting that we use magic to basically, move planets?”

“Not necessarily? I haven’t really figured out the technicalities of it, but,” Kyungsoo bit his lip. “I just thought that we could use that concept as a base.”

Jongin smiled. “Well, we’re definitely a lot closer than where we were before.” Jongin felt his mind starting to turn in possibilities. “I think we can use this.”

Kyungsoo smiled bright and gave Jongin another kiss on the lips. This time, though, Jongin held him there just a little longer. 

 

They spent the rest of the day working out how they were going to manage to create a time shift. Baekhyun has left about an hour ago, saying he was spending the night at Chanyeol’s, which left Kyungsoo and Jongin struggling to try to figure everything out. Kyungsoo, Jongin could tell, was starting to lose hope. But as Jongin stared at his notebook, he started to flip through it. On the first page, just under Jongin’s name was Kyungsoo’s. After almost filling the entire notebook with both of their notes on this project, Kyungsoo decided that he should also have rights to his notebook. Jongin smiled to himself as he continued his flip through, not really looking at the words. There was something though, that caught his eye. It was small doodle that he made sometime last year, when he was working on a different spell. The doodle was a small cylinder, the longer lines curved in like a...like a wormhole would. 

That was it. That _must_ be it. Jongin flipped to the next available blank page and started to write out his thoughts. If they used a wormhole, of sorts, then they could use that as controlled time-space. They could jump into that and travel through time without disrupting the current timeline. But then that would just mean, a person could only jump to their own past timelines. They wouldn’t be able to jump to others, until he and Kyungsoo worked out the finer details and practiced more.

Jongin looked at his notes, after he finished his final sentence and smiled wide. He turned to Kyungsoo, excited to share his thoughts but he discovered that the other was already watching him. It threw Jongin off kilter, he still wasn’t used to having Kyungsoo’s affections.

“I-I think I figured it out,” Jongin said and showed Kyungsoo his chicken scratch. The latter though, had been able to make out the words. Jongin watched as Kyungsoo read the words and everything started to make sense.

“T-That’s brilliant, Jongin,” Kyungsoo said with just as much excitement as Jongin was feeling. “I could love you so hard, right now.”

Kyungsoo’s mouth was agape, when he realized what he had said. Sex wasn’t something they had talked about, for obvious reasons. They both were so new to this relationship, but fuck, Jongin couldn’t help but agree. 

“Love me, then,” Jongin said softly as he placed a hand on Kyungsoo’s thigh. Kyungsoo almost immediately captured Jongin’s mouth. Jongin felt one of Kyungsoo’s hand go to his hip and the other was slightly pushing him back so he could lay on the couch. Jongin’s hand slowly ran up Kyungsoo’s forearms and past his shoulders. One of Jongin’s hand ran through Kyungsoo’s hair to keep him in place, while the other gripped on the back of Kyungsoo’s shirt. Kyungsoo shifted his hands so that they started to push up Jongin shirt. 

Kyungsoo pulled away from the kiss. But Jongin tried to chase his lips. Kyungsoo smiled a bit and gave Jongin a peck before kissing his way down to Jongin’s exposed chest. Jongin breathing hitched when Kyungsoo went for his right nipple. Jongin scrunched up Kyungsoo’s shirt in his hands and tried to remove it.

“Off,” Jongin said. Kyungsoo easily complied after he removed himself from Jongin’s chest.

“Your’s too.” Kyungsoo helped Jongin pull off his shirt and toss it to the side, where Kyungsoo’s shirt landed. Jongin slowly ran his hands down Kyungsoo’s firm chest. He still sat up so it was easy for Jongin to run his fingers just past Kyungsoo’s waistband of his jeans and underwear. Kyungsoo bit his bottom lip and brought his hands to the front of his jeans to undo the button, giving Jongin more room to explore. Kyungsoo leaned forward a bit and placed his hands on either side of Jongin’s head. 

Tentatively, Jongin brought his hand lower and lower until he felt Kyungsoo’s half-hard dick. Kyungsoo gasped and bent forward to capture Jongin’s lips. Kyungsoo pushed his tongue forward as Jongin started to massage Kyungsoo’s dick. Jongin felt himself grow harder as he heard Kyungsoo’s moans.

“Y-you need to stop,” Kyungsoo said against his lips. “Or I’m going to come too fast.”

Jongin smirked and pulled his hand out of Kyungsoo’s pants. 

“Maybe we should go to your room before Baekhyun is surprised by your ass,” Jongin said as he grasped Kyungsoo’s ass and brought his hips down so they could grind.

Kyungsoo brought their lips together one more time before dragging Jongin to his bedroom. He shut the door behind them and pushed Jongin onto the bed. He stripped the rest of Jongin and his clothes before he inched his way between Jongin’s legs. Jongin though, was appreciating Kyungsoo’s body. It was everything he loved and then some. 

Jongin couldn’t help himself as he brought Kyungsoo down for a kiss. They both let their hands wander each other's bodies. Both try to memorize each and every curve or their bodies. Kyungsoo pulled away from the kiss to reach over to his nightstand. This caused their erections to brush. Both moaning at the contact. 

When Kyungsoo grabbed, his lube, he leaned back so he was resting on his shins and positioned Jongin. He had Jongin’s legs resting on either side of his hips as he coated his fingers with lube. When the first finger punctured through his hole, Jongin scrunched up his face. He wasn’t used to the feeling. But as Kyungsoo continued to stretch him, he also started to leave marks along his body-- which riled Jongin up more. By the time Kyungsoo inserted his second finger, Jongin got over the discomfort fast and only felt pure bliss. 

“Kyungsoo,” Jongin gasped. “I want you so much right now.”

“You’re not ready yet,” Kyungsoo whispered against his neck, where he was currently leaving another mark. “You’re almost there.”

Kyungsoo himself, must’ve been getting impatient, as he inserted another finger. Jongin had one of his hands on Kyungsoo’s back and another in his hair. Both tightened as Kyungsoo continued to penetrate him with his fingers.

“Please, Soo,” Jongin moaned. A few more movements and Kyungsoo removed his fingers. He grabbed his lube once again and coated his dick before lining himself up. He put his hands on either side of Jongin’s hips and push forward. 

Jongin felt the tip hit his hole and penetrate him. He had his mouth open in a silent scream and he adjusts to Kyungsoo’s size. Both of his hands now grasp at the bed sheets. 

Jongin shifted his hips as a silent approval for Kyungsoo to move and he did so slowly. Jongin wrapped his legs behind Kyungsoo’s back. He wanted him deeper. Jongin looked at Kyungsoo, who had pleasure written all over his face as he watched his dick penetrate Jongin. 

Kyungsoo gave Jongin’s dick a couple strokes, which caused him to moan loud. 

“Kyungsoo.”

“Does that feel good?” Kyungsoo said as he hit Jongin’s prostate head on. He leaned forward and put his arms on either side of Jongin’s head as he continued to fuck him. 

“ _So good_.” Jongin raised his arms to loop around Kyungsoo’s head. Kyungsoo leaned closer so he could kiss Jongin. As he brought his body closer to Jongin’s, Kyungsoo’s stomach had brushed Jongin’s neglected dick causing Jongin to moan into the kiss. With the constant stimulation of his prostate and the subtle brushes against his dick, Jongin felt himself drawing closer and closer to his orgasm.

“Fuck, I’m close,” Jongin said. Kyungsoo changed his position back to how he initially started. It was easier for him to pound into Jongin. 

“Me too,” Kyungsoo said. He reached over and started to jerk Jongin off. So much stimulation.  
He felt it building and building until finally, he came onto his stomach and Kyungsoo’s hand. Kyungsoo’s kept going for several more thrusts, just when Jongin was about to get over stimulated, Kyungsoo came. 

Kyungsoo leaned forward and rested on top of Jongin for a couple minutes to catch his breath. Jongin didn’t mind as he rubbed his lover's back. Kyungsoo took a deep breath and pulled out of Jongin. Without a word Kyungsoo got off the bed left his room. When he returned it was with a wet rag. He gently cleaned off, Jongin’s stomach and then gently turned him over to clean his ass, which was still leaking some of Kyungsoo’s cum. Once he was satisfied, Jongin heard the rag get tossed and land in Kyungsoo’s laundry basket. Kyungsoo climbed into to bed and took Jongin in his arms. Jongin leaned up and gave Kyungsoo a kiss on his jaw before snuggled his head between Kyungsoo’s shoulder and neck. 

Jongin’s world faded to black as he fell asleep in Kyungsoo’s arms.

\----

Jongin left Jongdae’s with a prep in his step. He unlocked his phone and dialed Sehun’s number. 

“Sehunaaaa,” Jongin said. 

“Jongin?” Sehun answered. “Sounds like you just got laid.”

Jongin just laughed, as he narrowly avoided a hoverboarder. 

“Wait, did you?” Sehun asked. “Details, Jongin, I want details.”

“That’s disgusting, no,” Jongin said. “Where are you?”

“Home.”

“Okay, I’ll there soon, then let’s get some ramen,” Jongin said and then hung up the phone before Sehun could protest. Jongin continued his journey down the street. The hoverboarders that would usually annoy him, didn’t. The hustle and bustle of the streets didn’t even bother him. Everything felt brighter to him. He felt as if someone had repainted his world and damn, did he love it.

“Jongin,” a voice he never wanted to hear again, caused him to stop walking. Jongin turned and saw Kris and Tao, walk out of a cafe. Both help coffee in their hands.

Jongin didn’t respond as he clutched his phone tighter to his chest. Instead he looked around his surroundings to make sure there was no kidnapper vans in the area. 

“You don’t have to worry,” Kris said. “We just want to talk.”

“About what?”

“Maybe we should talk somewhere...quieter,” Kris nodded his head back to the cafe. Jongin peered past their shoulders. It looked busy enough, for Jongin to deem it safe. So, he nodded his head and followed the pair indoors. 

“You look very happy,” Kris noted.

“Because I am,” Jongin said. “What did you want to talk about?”

“Jongdae.”

Of course, they wanted to talk to him about Jongdae. 

“What about him?” Jongin was suddenly very conscious of his actions. He didn’t want to make any sudden movements and anything that would make him look like a suspect. But at the same time, he needed to be as casual as he could.

“We want to know what he does,” Kris said.

“He helps me,” Jongin shrugged his shoulders.

“With what?” 

“Funny, but I’m pretty sure that’s none of your business,” Jongin said. Being snippy with some agents that could kill him instantly was not in Jongin’s best interest--but Jongin knew that he had done nothing wrong to warrant them to take him anywhere.

Kris pursed his lips. “Listen, I just need to know if he has been using magic, that’s it. A simple yes or no from you and you’ll never see us again.”

“No, you listen,” Jongin said. “He doesn’t practice in magic. We all know that it is outlawed. He wouldn’t be that stupid.”

“How much do you know of Jongdae?”

“As much as I need to,” Jongin turned his head and looked out the window. He needed to get out of here.

“Jongdae is registered as a magic activist.”

Jongin turned his head and made eye contact with Kris. _Now_ , that was something Jongin didn’t know. Maybe, Sehun didn’t either. 

“Just because he supports the idea of bringing back magic doesn't mean that he practices as well,” Jongin said carefully. “I support a lot of things but you don’t see me doing any of it.” Jongin’s phone started ringing. It was Sehun. “If that’s everything, I’ll be on my way.”

Jonign didn’t wait for their response as he got up and answered his phone.

“Hey, yeah, sorry, I know...I’m coming” Jongin spared them one last glance before leaving the cafe.

Jongin met up with Sehun not long after that. But throughout the rest of the evening and even the rest of the week, Jongin couldn’t help but worry about the entire situation. Jongin hadn’t been able to get proper sleep as he kept dreaming of Kyungsoo. Both good and bad dreams. The good ones were when Jongin always woke to Kyungsoo sleeping beside him. There was no magic, no past or future, just them basking in happiness. The bad ones were Jongin’s nightmares. They would be forever on the run and each and everytime one of them would get caught. The ending would always change. Sometimes Kyungsoo would die, other times it would be Jongin. 

No matter the dream, Jongin always woke more confused than he was the day before.

\----

Jongin rolled onto his side and reached out his arm. His fingers made contact with Kyungsoo’s body. Slowly, Jongin crept his fingers along Kyungsoo’s side and over his stomach until he was able to cuddle up next to him. Jongin started to press lips against Kyungsoo’s shoulder and the slowly up his neck to his cheek. He had only recently discovered that one of his favourites things was to wake Kyungsoo up with kisses.

Kyungsoo started to stir in his sleep. “Morning.”

“Morning,” Jongin said in reply. “Let’s get up, we’ve a long day ahead of us.”

Kyungsoo hummed and used the blanket to cover his face. Jongin chuckled quietly as he got up to get ready for the day.

They had been getting closer and closer to opening the portal and Jongin was sure that today was going to be the day that they did it. He felt it in his bones, down to his very core. Today was going to be the day.

The pair had sat crossed legged on the living room floor after Sehun had left for work. They had been working on it for hours, that Jongin started to wonder if today was going to be the day. Jongin held out his hands in the air and Kyungsoo automatically joined them with his own. They had discovered that it came easier to them if they joined their hands, like they were joining their energy or something. Jongin closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“Okay, next we’re going to need to feel the earth moving around the sun and reverse it,” Kyungsoo said quietly, mostly to himself. They both needed to focus. “Ready? Together now.”

Jongin used all of his energy to reverse the rotation of the sun. It wasn’t as hard as he thought it was going to be, but maybe that was because he had Kyungsoo there with him. Suddenly, he felt a breeze beside him. He was already used to this breeze. Ever since they’d been practicing this breeze appears, like it was the pre-stages of the portal forming. But they had never gotten further than the breeze. This time, however, the breeze felt different. Jongin slowly opened his eyes and turned his head toward the breeze. 

“Holy shit-- Kyungsoo,” Jongin said quickly. “Kyungsoo.”

Kyungsoo opened his eyes and saw what Jongin saw. It wasn’t that big, probably just the size of Jongin’s head. It had a purple hue to it, with random stripes of blue. The portal itself, had a spiral of sorts the went inside of it, like it was ready to draw in the whole world. Both Jongin and Kyungsoo look to one another. Jongin wasn’t sure though, who was the person to move their hands first. What he was sure of, was that he was too damn happy and he wanted Kyungsoo’s body to bare the marks of his happiness.

He had pushed Kyungsoo down to the ground and made sure to push his shirt up as well, as he kissed his way down his body. But before Jongin to get to his destination Kyungsoo pulled him up so they could lock lips. Kyungsoo had shifted his legs so Jongin was between them. Jongin grinded his crotch with Kyungsoo’s and pulled away from the kiss. Jongin ghosted his lips over Kyungsoo’s skin. This time as he made his way down, Kyungsoo didn’t stop him. Jongin undid Kyungsoo’s pants and stripped him of the clothes at covered his lower body. Jongin locked eyes with Kyungsoo as he reached his hand out and grabbed onto his dick. 

Jongin bent down and gave Kyungsoo one last brief look before he took Kyungsoo into his mouth. Jongin started to bob his head up and down. He used his tongue on the tip and occasionally brought it down along the protruding vein on the underside of Kyungsoo’s dick. Kyungsoo had one of his hands in Jongin’s locks. The other was stretched out, as he tried to grab the carpet. 

Jongin didn’t slow down nor did he get any faster. Going at this pace was torture for Kyungsoo and Jongin _loved_ it.

“J-Jongin, ah,” Kyungsoo moaned. “I-I’m going to come.”

Jongin brought his hand to the lower portion of Kyungsoo’s dick, while he kept his mouth at the tip. 

“J-Jong-- ah--”

Kyungsoo’s grip in Jongin’s hair tightened as he came. Jongin made sure he swallowed everything before he made his way back to Kyungsoo’s face. 

“Fuck, Jongin,” Kyungsoo said, pulling Jongin to his lips. Jongin gasped into their kiss when he felt Kyungsoo’s hand rubbing his crotch. “I want you to make me feel _so_ good with your cock.”

Jongin smiled when he brought two fingers to Kyungsoo’s lips. “I’ll make you forget your name.”

 

Jongin woke to a knock on the door. At first he thought he was hearing things, so he didn’t move. Sehun could get the door. When he heard the knock again, his mind started to clear at the same time, he heard shuffling on the other side of the bed. He opened his eyes in confusion. Was he back home? He looked around the messy room and saw that it was the bedroom from his past life. He rolled over and saw Kyungsoo making his way to the bedroom door, nearly hitting a stack of books by the door. 

The knock came again.

_Who the hell_ … Jongin thought to himself. He decided he should get up and see who was at the door, instead of Kyungsoo, since it was his home.

“Hello, my name is Junmyeon and this is my partner Yixing. We are from SM,” a voice asked at the door. Jongin slowly shuffled his feet to the door but stopped when he heard who they worked for. _What the hell were they doing here?_ Jongin thought. Kyungsoo was standing at the door, he had a hand resting on his hip. “Are you Kim Jongin?” 

“Does it matter who I am?” Kyungsoo asked. 

“It does,” Junmyeon said. Jongin wasn’t able to see what he looked like, but he knew that he should get Kyungsoo away from there fast. “We are currently investigating a case about people using magic.”

Kyungsoo laughed at that. “You are investigating people who use magic, don’t you think that’s a little dramatic?”

“We know, of course, there are different...levels of magic that people practice,” Junmyeon said. “For example, your roommate, Sehun, seems to be able to manipulate air.”

Jongin’s heart dropped when they mentioned Sehun’s name. Jongin looked to Kyungsoo’s face and he didn’t look too pleased. _Why wasn’t he telling them that, he wasn’t me?_ Jongin thought to himself.

“You have no proof of anything,” Kyungsoo said. “And I don’t appreciate you knocking on my door in the morning questioning me about things that I know nothing about.”

“You’re right, we don’t have any proof, yet,” Junmyeon said. “But just know that we will be keeping an eye out on the situation.”

Kyungsoo gave him a fake half-smile and shut the door on them.

“Kyungsoo…” Jongin said quietly causing the other to turn to face him. The expression that Kyungsoo wore made Jongin question if they should continue what they were doing. Jongin felt that empty feeling come back to him again as his surroundings started to fade to black.

\----

Jongin woke to Jongdae’s apartment, he wasn’t sure what came over him, but he started to cry.

“Shit, Jongin,” Jongdae said rushing to Jongin’s side. “What happened?”

“What the fuck am I supposed to do?” Jongin covered his face. “SM arrived there too. They threatened Sehun, Jongdae.”

“Jongin,” Jongdae said, helping him sit up. Jongin could help but cry, but at least he wasn’t a sobbing mess, yet.

“How am I supposed to fix this?” Jongin said. “I thought this was supposed to bring me closure? Instead, I’m feeling like I’m digging myself a deeper grave.”

“It’s hard to say what you should do,” Jongdae said. He looked around the room as if something in here would give him the words to help Jongin. “It happened in the past, so whatever you decide to do, won’t be able to change the life you’re living now. Maybe...what were the names of the men who came? I could probably search up their names and find out information about them that could help.” Jongdae turned to grab the notebook and pen that rest on the coffee table.

“You’re already on their radar Jongdae, I won’t ask you to do anything else that could cause you to get arrested.”

Jongdae smirked at Jongin, who was wiping his face with the back of his sleeve. At least the tears stopped. “Don’t you worry about that, Jongin. You should be worried about how you are going to protect Kyungsoo.”

_Protect Kyungsoo_. The only way that Jongin knew to do that, was the only thing that he didn’t want to do. 

“Maybe I should end things with him,” Jongin said quietly. “Make him go away, then that way SM can’t accuse him of anything. They wouldn’t be able to hurt him, because I would be the one dealing with the magic.”

“Are you sure that’s something that you want to do? Something that Kyungsoo is going to be okay with?” Jongdae asked. He took a seat on the coffee table. 

“Of course, I don’t want to do it…” Jongin said. He ran his hands through his hair. “It’s the only thing that could potentially save him from the mess that I brought him into.”

“Just sleep on it, okay?” Jongdae said. “Then next week, you can decide what you want to do.”

 

It was the middle of the night and he couldn’t sleep. Jongin rolled over onto his side and stretched out his arm. The other side of his bed was cold. It wasn’t warm like the last time he woke up in the ‘other world’. He slowly opened his eyes and started at the empty space before him. It was back again, that feeling he had grown so accustomed to. The feeling of emptiness. As much as it was a blessing to discover that Kyungsoo was everything he needed and wanted. It was also a curse because he knew that there was never going to be a chance for the two of them to be together in the present. Not only that, but Jongin and Kyungsoo faced a threat that he didn’t know how to deal with. 

“If someone who I loved was in danger because of something I did, then I would do everything in my power to get them away,” Sehun had said when they had been camping on the couch, “whether or not it’s the right decision is up for debate, but it is one of the better options you have.”

He had brought up his concern with Sehun and though his friend wasn’t prone to giving good advice, he knew he could rely on his friend in a time of need. But the one time that Sehun did give good advice was the one time that Jongin had wished, Sehun gave him one of his stupid answers instead. Something like using the portal to jump through time to escape. Jongin laughed to himself in the dead of the night. Now that was a stupid idea, but he knew it wouldn’t work. They had _only_ just managed to get the spell to work. There were some many rules that they needed to figure out. It was too risky. 

 

\----

Jongin was set as he let Kyungsoo inside. Jongin had asked Sehun to hang out in his room as he spoke with Kyungsoo. With the recent events that had been happening, here and in Jongin’s present, maybe it was best for them to stop. It’ll just hurt Jongin more when the time actually comes to an end, when he knows that he’s going to fall more in love with Kyungsoo. 

“Kyungsoo,” Jongin said softly as the pair were sat on the couch. Kyungsoo looked at him concerned. He opened his mouth to ask what was wrong but Jongin continued. “We can’t be together anymore.”

Jongin watched as Kyungsoo’s face twitched. First it was his eyebrows, they scrunched up in confusion. Then he saw his nostrils flare, as they took in a shape breath. Last, were his lips, his bottom lip stuck out, ever so slightly that Jongin saw the corner’s of Kyungsoo’s lip pulled down. 

“What do you mean?” Kyungsoo said just as quietly, if not quieter. “Why not?”

“I-It just...It’s not…” Jongin wasn’t sure what to say. Looking at Kyungsoo now, he wanted to take it all back. He wanted to crack a smile and say April Fool’s. But no, he knew he couldn’t do any of that. “I’m so sorry.” 

Kyungsoo abruptly stood. Everything thing from that moment on, seemed to go by in slow motion. When Kyungsoo had stood to his full height, he only managed to take a step, when Jongin heard the shattering of glass and a jolt through Kyungsoo’s body. At first Jongin wasn’t sure what had happened, but it slowly processed as the blood started to seep through Kyungsoo’s shirt. 

He was shot. 

“No, no,” Jongin said as he caught Kyungsoo in his arms. “No, no, no, please, no.”

He heard Sehun open his door, and Jongin heard another window shatter, when he tried to look over the couch, Sehun’s body wasn’t where it was supposed to be.

“God, no,” Jongin whispered again. But then everything went black.

 

Jongin opened his eyes and he saw Jongdae’s concerned faced.

“Jongin,” Jongdae said immediately. “What was happening? You were starting to freak out.”

“Jongdae, I need to go back.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“No, Jongdae, I have to go back,” Jongin gripped Jongdae’s arms. “I have to go back and try. He doesn't deserve to die like that. Please. Let me go back...let me...try, anything. Please.”

“Die? Who died--” Jongdae must’ve realized the answer to his question was written all over Jongin’s face.

“Please.”

“Fine, but,” Jongdae took a deep breath. “Give me five minutes, I need to set up a better barrier. Don’t want anybody knocking up a storm.”

 

When Jongin woke again, he was in Kyungsoo’s room. He right away where he was because of the cleanliness around him. He felt his heart drop. It had been a couple days since Kyungsoo and Sehun were killed at his apartment. He managed to escape after Kyungsoo, with broken breaths, convinced him to leave.

He sighed as he rose to sitting position. He could feel the tears building, it took him a couple minutes to will them away. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and noticed his small notebook rest on the nightstand. He picked it up and held it in his hands. Maybe...

There was a loud crash that caused Jongin’s heart to race. He strained his ears to hear for anything.

“Baek--” It was Chanyeol’s concerned voice, but it was muffled. Jongin could hear glass pieces being pushed around. Jongin placed the notebook back on his-- Kyungsoo’s -- nightstand.

He made his way over to the bedroom door. He didn’t open it. Not yet. After he came here, he had locked himself in Kyungsoo’s room and refused to speak. The only words he had spoken to either of them was that both Kyungsoo and Sehun were dead. Though, hearing the news that one of their best friends had been killed, seeing a bloodied Jongin in front of them, gave them a list of priorities. Later on that night, when Jongin had been laying in Kyungsoo’s bed, he heard the news playing from the living room. He knew that the pair had wanted Jongin to hear, the confirmation. Two bodies found. Both deceased. 

With a heavy heart, he made his way to the kitchen, where he could hear the shuffling of feet. He wasn’t sure how he was going to feel see the pair, nor how they were going to react.

It was Chanyeol who saw Jongin first. He was just putting away the broom, while Baekhyun was seated on the counter. He head was down.

“Jongin,” Chanyeol said. Baekhyun slowly turned his head toward Jongin. “We were just about to make breakfast. Anything, in particular, would you like?”

“I’m not hungry,” Jongin said with a hoarse voice. It was true. He wasn’t. He was past hunger. He just felt an empty stomach but he knew that if he ate, he would want to vomit. 

“You’re not hungry?” Baekhyun said. Jongin could hear the anger in his voice.

“You need to eat something, Jongin,” Chanyeol said. Jongin shook his head. 

“Then why the fuck did you leave his room?” Baekhyun asked. He hopped off the counter and crossed his arms. “If you want to stay here, you’re going to eat. Three times a day. And you’re going to leave that damn room. And we are going to figure out the details for their funeral…”

Baekhyun trailed off to take a breath.

“I’m going to bring them back,” Jongin said. He knew that the pair knew what Jongin meant. “I’m going to fix this.”

“This isn’t your fault,” Baekhyun said as uncoiled his arms to clench his fists.

“All this fucking happened because of me, Baekhyun,” Jongin yelled suddenly. Of course it was his fault. “Kyungsoo _died_ because of _me_.”

Jongin could see the anger pass over Baekhyun’s face. Chanyeol must’ve noticed it too, because he placed a hand on his lover’s arm, but Baekhyun shrugged it off.

“Boo-fucking-hoo, Jongin,” Baekhyun said. “Kyungsoo is fucking dead, so is your best friend. Do you think either one of them wants you fucking around with magic to _maybe_ get them back? How are you going to live with yourself knowing that they died in another life? That you _failed_ in another life--”

“Baek--” Chanyeol tried to stop Baekhyun. 

“--if you do this Jongin, you could be lost forever,” Baekhyun continued. But his voice wasn’t as harsh. “In some fucking messed up timeline or...whatever, “ Baekhyun’s voice started to crack. Jongin could see the tears starting to form in Baekhyun’s eyes. “I-I can’t lose another friend…”

“Y-you won’t,” Jongin’s voice cracked as well. “But I need to try.”

He truly did. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he didn’t at least try to save Kyungsoo and Sehun. He knew how to do it, Kyungsoo and him figured it out together. And Jongin didn’t want their hard work to go to waste. As he looked at Baekhyun and Chanyeol standing before him, it gave him a stronger motivation to want to bring them back. 

“You act like you're the only one who's suffering,” Baekhyun mumbled.

“I need to try,” Jongin whispered, looking down at the ground. He saw footsteps fall into his line of sight. He only managed to get a quick look at Baekhyun’s tear stained face, before the latter wrap his arms around Jongin. 

This was the first physical interaction Jongin had with another person since Kyungsoo passed. Feeling Baekhyun’s ragged breaths and the rubbing on his back from Chanyeol, brought Jongin closer and closer to the tears he had been trying so hard to push away.

But the longer the three of them were huddled, Jongin started to cry. 

 

The next day, after breakfast, Jongin went back to Kyungsoo’s bedroom to grab his notebook. The trio agreed that Jongin was going to do this with them present, just in case something went wrong.

Baekhyun had made sure that Jongin ate something. If he was going to do this he needed energy. 

Baekhyun and Chanyeol were seated on the couch with tight expressions on their faces. The news was playing softly in the background.

“Do we need to do anything?” Chanyeol asked.

Jongin shook his head. “No.”

Jongin flipped open his notebook to his notes on the spell. He didn't need to look at them. He knew the rules. But it was more of a comfort thing than anything else. It made him feel like Kyungsoo was here with him. 

Jongin took a deep breath before he focused his energy. He reached out his magic and felt the faint rotation of the axis and how the earth swung around the bright star. Slowly Jongin started to reverse the rotation. He closed his eyes so that--

_Next we’re going to need to--_

Jongin heard Kyungsoo's voice in the back of his mind. It caused him to lose some focus. 

_Ready? Together now._

Jongin shook his head. And did his best to regain his focus. The rotation. He needs to slow it down and reverse it. 

This time, he did it. It was a lot more challenging to do with just one person. But, he managed.

He could feel the hole opening before him. He opened his eyes when he heard a gasp. Jongin had managed to open the portal. Good. 

He thought of the time and place he wanted to go to. To Kyungsoo. 

What he wasn't expecting though, was to see images of Kyungsoo's flashing before him. Every moment he had spent with the other kept coming and going. He mind was on overload. He couldn't focus on the moment. He couldn't… he just wanted Kyungsoo back. 

Jongin wasn't sure if Baekhyun and Chanyeol could see what Jongin saw. But when Jongin started to cry again. He had lost his focus and he watched as the portal started to fade. The images of Kyungsoo started to disperse. And again Jongin was left without him. 

Jongin fell to his knees. Baekhyun and Chanyeol were immediately at his side.

“I can't do this without him,” Jongin said.

“Oh, Jongin,” Baekhyun said quietly. no other words were spoken except the voices from the TV.

It wasn't until the news reporter brought breaking news. 

“We have recently received more information regarding the death of Do Kyungsoo and Oh Sehun,” she said. “We go live to Minseok, a captain of the organization that deals with the inappropriate use of magic.”

The TV cut over to Minseok. 

“Recently, as you are all aware. Two men were found in their home dead. This, as improbable as it sounds, was because of their use of magic. These two victims were attempting at opening up a portal which incidentally caused their deaths. It is unfortunate that we lost two people; however, due to the danger that magic poses, the Prime Minister has created a new law, outlawing the practice of magic.”

“So you’re saying that magic is real?” The news reporter asked. “Aren’t you worried that people aren’t going to believe you?”

“Frankly, I don’t care whether people believe me or not. There are those out there who practice magic, they know who they are. And we will always be watching.”

There was a knock on the apartment door, that drew the attention of the trio away from the door. Jongin instinctively knew who it was. Angrily, Jongin snatched his notebook and stormed to the door. He threw it open and he was right. It was SM agents. More than likely, they were Junmyeon and Yixing.

“What the _fuck_ more do you guys want?” Jongin said. He heard Baekhyun and Chanyeol approach. “You already took my boyfriend and my best friend away. Now what? You want my spell book? Well, here you fucking go.”

Jongin threw his book at the two agents standing in front of him and then proceeded to slam the door shut. Jongin sank to his knees as everything around him faded to black.

 

\----

Jongin opened his eyes and just started at the ceiling. The colourful tapestries seemed in comparison to the brightness of Kyungsoo’s eyes. And the sturdiness of the couch seemed flimsy compared to Kyungsoo solid chest. The heaviness in Jongin's chest was a lot worse than the emptiness he had felt weeks ago. 

“Jongin?”

“I think this is going to be my last session,” Jongin said as he started to get off the couch.

“Wait, Jongin, let me explain something to you,” Jongin sat back down. He didn’t hear the words, only the command. He was too numb too really think for himself. “I never said anything till now, I wasn’t even sure if you realized it yourself, but everything you went through with Kyungsoo actually happened.”

“Well, obviously,” Jongin sighed. “That was a past life.”

“No, you, the you right here in front of me, actually lived that life,” Jongin wasn't sure what he had meant. “That spell you and Kyungsoo were working on, actually works. I was the one who stole your book and mastered the spell, which allowed me to send you back in time. So technically, yes it was a past life, but at the same time, by me sending you back there, it kinda set in stone, that forever and always in all the timelines of the universe, you will be sent back in time and you will live through that situation. Kyungsoo and you will meet, fall in love, create a spell and then ultimately you will lose him, which is what resulted in you of the now to feel a sort of emptiness.”

“You subconsciously or consciously, without realizing, made decisions,” Jongdae continued, “basically, even when you were talking to me about things that were happening, you’re only thought process was to fix what was happening. You didn’t realize that it was the past or anything along those lines.”

“Okay,” Jongin said. To be honest, Jongin didn’t really care what the truth was. All he knew was that he lost someone he loved, _loves_ , and he wants him back. “Can I--”

Jongin voice was cut off with a knock on the front door. Jongin blinked and the room went from the craziness that it was to the modern, sleek look from when Kris and Tao had appeared.

Jongdae got up and answered the door. 

“What do you want?”

Jongin turned his head and saw Kris and Tao. Jongin sighed and leaned his head against the back of the couch. He was so tired. So, incredibly, tired.

“We just wanted to let you know that we found the person who was using magic,” Kris explained. “It was your neighbour, actually. He used it to bring drugs into the country. We’re sorry for disrupting your business.”

“That’s quite alright,” Jongdae said. “Have a nice day.”

Once Jongdae shut the door, the room went back to its bright colours. Jongdae walked over and took a seat next to Jongin.

“Didn’t I tell you not to worry?” Jongdae said. Jongin looked over at Jongdae a bit confused. “I knew he was dealing drugs. I didn’t want that kind of a neighbour, so what better way to get rid of him than to have him use magic.” Jongdae winked.

Jongin smiled a little. He was sure that if he wasn’t so heartbroken that he would’ve laughed. But he just couldn’t find it in himself to do so. 

“Why don’t you head on home and get some rest? I’ll let Sehun know, you’re on your way.”

 

Jongin was walking around the streets of his city. Lost in his mind. Lost in the streets. He was supposed to be heading home, but he needed some time to himself right now. He reached a bridge and walked along it until he hit the center. The highest point. He looked towards the horizon. The sun still had a couple hours before it set. He rested his head on his arms that were on the railing. 

Closure. Wholeness. That was what Jongin had wanted when he decided to continue with the ‘sessions’. Yet all he was left with was a heaviness in his chest, he wasn’t sure he would be able to heal.

“Hey,” Jongin felt a tap on his shoulder and turned his head to the owner of the tap. “Are you okay?”

Jongin was really sure how to process who was standing in front of him. It felt like only yesterday, that he was standing in his apartment crying. Yet here he stood.

“What’s your name?” 

“Jongin.”

“Jongin,” he repeated. “I’m Baekhyun. I’m going to be meeting up with my boyfriend. Did you want to join me for the walk? I don’t really like be alone, so I would love the company.”

Jongin opened and then closed his mouth. But Baekhyun, clearly wasn’t taking no for an answer, instead he hooked arms with Jongin and dragged him along. Baekhyun waited until they were off the bridge to ask his questions.

“Is everything okay, Jongin?” Baekhyun said walked on. They were heading in the direction of the park. “It looked pretty serious back there.”

“I, uh, I lost some people who were very close to me,” Jongin said without a second thought. Technically, Baekhyun and him were strangers in this life. But Jongin couldn’t help but think of this Baekhyun as the Baekhyun from his past. The one who welcomed him with open arms.

Baekhyun hummed. “I’ve been lucky enough never have experienced anything like that in my life yet. But if you don’t mind some unsolicited advice, then I would say that do what you need to cope with their loss. But don’t forget about the other people in your life.”

Jongin looked down to watch their feet walking along the sidewalk. 

“Because let’s be honest, you’re going to need them more than you know,” Baekhyun slightly nudged his arm. “And...I know we literally, only just met, but, I would be sad to know if something happened to you.”

“Baekhyun!” Jongin lifted his head at the sound of a deep voice. It was Chanyeol. He was standing by a tree, at the entrance of the park. They were several meters away from him now. “Who’s your friend?”

“This is Jongin,” Baekhyun grinned. “We just met, but I feel like we could be quite good friends.” 

“What? I want a new friend too,” Chanyeol whined. Baekhyun, who still had his arm hooked with Jongin’s lightly tapped his forearm.

“I found him first,” Baekhyun stuck his tongue out. Jongin found himself smiling at the pair and Baekhyun caught sight. “I knew you would have a pretty smile. Make sure you do it more often!”

Baekhyun removed his arm from Jongin’s and reached into his pocket to pull out his phone. He handed it over to Jongin after he pressed a couple buttons on it. 

“Let’s exchange numbers,” Baekhyun said. Jongin looked at Baekhyun and Chanyeol once before he put in his phone number and hand Baekhyun’s phone back to him. But Baekhyun held out his other hand expectantly. Jongin smiled a bit again as he put this phone into the waiting hand. After the number was inputted, Baekhyun gave Jongin a quick hug. “I really do hope everything will be okay. Feel free to text or call me, if you ever need someone to listen. Or to hang out with.”

“You’ll be okay getting home?” Chanyeol asked. It was like he knew something was wrong with Jongin. 

“I’ll be fine, thanks,” Jongin said as he waved goodbye to the pair, feeling ever so slightly lighter. 

 

When Jongin arrived at his apartment, after the days events, he wasn’t sure what to do.

“Hey,” It was Sehun. He must’ve been waiting for Jongin to come home. “Jongdae told me what happened. Are you going to be okay?”

Jongin walked forward and hugged Sehun. “I’m glad you’re not dead.”

Sehun rubbed Jongin’s back. “I have no plans in leaving you.”

\----

“Man, we clicked so easily,” Chanyeol said. “It’s almost like we already know you.”

“Maybe we were friends in another life,” Jongin said. It had been about ten days since he had his last session with Jongdae. And slowly, he was getting better. He’s spent a couple days, here and there, hanging out with Chanyeol and Baekhyun. At first, he was hesitant to text Baekhyun to hang out, but he found once he did, it made him feel better. 

“You know, you would get along with our other friend too,” Baekhyun said. “He’s going to Jongdae’s barbeque tomorrow, you better show up so we can introduce you guys.”

Jongin had, also, recently discovered, that Jongdae was friends with Chanyeol and Baekhyun. The second day the three of them hung out they ran into Jongdae and he invited all of them to his barbeque. Though, Jongin wasn’t one for parties something in his gut was telling him to go.

“I’ll be there,” Jongin said.

“Good,” Chanyeol said. “He’s been going through some hard things right now, so it’ll be good for him to be around good company.”

Jongin smiled softly to himself. Baekhyun and Chanyeol had no trouble making Jongin feel welcomed. He was so thankful to have them in his life, once again.

\----

Jongin and Sehun walked through the park's entrance and saw Jongdae’s small get together., just ahead of them. The pair walked towards them and Jongin could already see Chanyeol’s mop of hair. But it was Jongdae who greeted them first. 

“Jongin, I’m so glad you came,” Jongdae said, ignoring Sehun.

“Wow, thanks cousin,” Sehun said. “Feeling all the love.”

“Yeah, nice to see you too, brat,” Jongdae said. Sehun rolled his eyes. “I wanted to catch you before you saw for yourself--”

“What are you talking about?” Jongin started to look around. What could he possibly be talking about? There was a little bit of hope that rose in his chest. He scanned the area and then he eyes were almost drawn to a figure standing with Chanyeol and Baekhyun. 

Much like how he was when Jongin met him in his past life, his back was facing Jongin and he had short hair, but it was still long enough that a bit went past the tip of his ear.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Jongin hit Jongdae on the arm.

“I couldn’t because Kyungsoo was behind a couple sessions,” Jongdae said. “I couldn’t have you guys meeting until after or you could’ve messed up the entire timeline. You know how fragile time is, Jongin.”

“Wait-- he?” Jongdae nodded his head.

Jongin looked over at the boy he had lost, who was still focused on his conversation with Baekhyun and Chanyeol.

“Does that mean he remembers then?”

“Yes, he remembers,” Jongdae said. “He will know who you are.”

Jongin took a couple steps in his direction. That somehow caught Chanyeol’s attention, who called him over.

“Jongin, this was who we were talking about,” Chanyeol said when Jongin was close enough.

Kyungsoo slowly turned around and made eye contact with Jongin. Jongin couldn’t help himself, he started to smile as he looked at Kyungsoo. He could still see Baekhyun and Chanyeol in his peripherals, and that alone made Jongin want to laugh. The three of them were here now and Kyungsoo… Kyungsoo was alive.


End file.
